Do you not wonder where I've gone?
Apr 16, 2015, 4:00 am
#31
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: South Yorkshire, UK
Programs: A3*G, LH FTL, VS Red, Avis Preferred, Hertz President's Circle, (RIP Diamond Club)
Posts: 2,364
Most people are not loyal to any airline and book whateve is cheapest, or they are locked into one airline due to a corporate contract or frequent flier program. If someone has decided to "leave" an airline for whatever reason, it's highly unlikely that an e-mail or phone call is going to bring them back. Writing an algorithm to track people's flying patterns, identify those who may have switched to another carrier, and contacting them, is likely not worth the cost.
1. As another commenter said, they can already do that through random surveys. There is no need to contact every single person.
2. These days, there isn't much that distinguishes airlines from each other. Sure, a very few people might switch from A to B because they didn't like the food, but more than likely about the same number switched from B to A for the same reason. Given that almost everyone books on schedule and price, there is really no point watching these things and trying to track the minute differences between airlines. It's more worthwhile to invest on price and schedule.
1. As another commenter said, they can already do that through random surveys. There is no need to contact every single person.
2. These days, there isn't much that distinguishes airlines from each other. Sure, a very few people might switch from A to B because they didn't like the food, but more than likely about the same number switched from B to A for the same reason. Given that almost everyone books on schedule and price, there is really no point watching these things and trying to track the minute differences between airlines. It's more worthwhile to invest on price and schedule.
Last edited by roberino; Apr 16, 2015 at 6:53 am
Apr 16, 2015, 9:53 am
#32
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,438
I used to regularly fly to the US on VS so I had gold status for four years (and then some) with my butt in a Y seat every step of the way. Hard earned. One year I earned 70 tier points that way. I also had a long-held BD gold account that I earned solely through EU travel.
Then things changed. I had one bad year with my company and lost the VS gold status by a grand total of 2 tier points! I also lost my BD gold when BA bought BD and my account became BA gold, but since I hate BA with a passion (long story) I didn't fly a single flight with them.
My question is this. When a previously very loyal customer suddenly stops taking any flights with an airline are they not even slightly curious as to where they've gone? I mean, I didn't even get an "it's been a while since we've seen you" email. Are they not wondering what it was that made me not take a single further flight with them? Surely this is important information for their marketing group?
I appreciate that there are plenty of reasons why a customer might do this:
- Retirement? I'm 35...
- Change of job? Nope...
- Sudden crushing avatophobia? Hardly...
- Died? Well Bruce Willis isn't following me around...
Can anyone explain this?
Then things changed. I had one bad year with my company and lost the VS gold status by a grand total of 2 tier points! I also lost my BD gold when BA bought BD and my account became BA gold, but since I hate BA with a passion (long story) I didn't fly a single flight with them.
My question is this. When a previously very loyal customer suddenly stops taking any flights with an airline are they not even slightly curious as to where they've gone? I mean, I didn't even get an "it's been a while since we've seen you" email. Are they not wondering what it was that made me not take a single further flight with them? Surely this is important information for their marketing group?
I appreciate that there are plenty of reasons why a customer might do this:
- Retirement? I'm 35...
- Change of job? Nope...
- Sudden crushing avatophobia? Hardly...
- Died? Well Bruce Willis isn't following me around...
Can anyone explain this?
As for the airlines - they don't give a rat's arse if you're flying with them or not. You're merely a passenger on the bus
Apr 16, 2015, 10:02 am
#33
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: DCA/IAD
Programs: AS, US, Hilton, BA, DL, SPG, AA, VS
Posts: 1,628
Apr 16, 2015, 11:50 am
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,368
further, six weeks or months or six years from now, you (and Customer X, and Customer Y) are likely to cite something else as your critical issue that is driving you to find a different airline
Apr 16, 2015, 4:35 pm
#35
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,883
One problem with your position is that you are assuming that airlines could win customers back by contacting them. Most p....
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2. These days, there isn't much that distinguishes airlines from each other. Sure, a very few people might switch from A to B because they didn't like the food, but more than likely about the same number switched from B to A for the same reason. Given that almost everyone books on schedule and price, there is really no point watching these things and trying to track the minute differences between airlines. It's more worthwhile to invest on price and schedule.
<SNIPPED>
2. These days, there isn't much that distinguishes airlines from each other. Sure, a very few people might switch from A to B because they didn't like the food, but more than likely about the same number switched from B to A for the same reason. Given that almost everyone books on schedule and price, there is really no point watching these things and trying to track the minute differences between airlines. It's more worthwhile to invest on price and schedule.
Apr 16, 2015, 5:05 pm
#36
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Sydney Australia
Programs: No programs & No Points!!!
Posts: 14,222
I always wonder why first timers of a particular airline in F are not treated specially. You might like that airline and then move all of your business there. It isn't just regulars that should be treated with fanfare.
Apr 16, 2015, 5:26 pm
#37
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: WN A+ CP, UA 1MM/*A Gold, Mar LT Tit, IHG Plat, HH Dia
Posts: 6,284
2. These days, there isn't much that distinguishes airlines from each other. Sure, a very few people might switch from A to B because they didn't like the food, but more than likely about the same number switched from B to A for the same reason. Given that almost everyone books on schedule and price, there is really no point watching these things and trying to track the minute differences between airlines. It's more worthwhile to invest on price and schedule.
Apr 16, 2015, 8:24 pm
#38
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,883
I say something similar about cable TV service anytime one of my friends complains how terrible XYZ's service is or how RST are the biggest crooks ever. "The worst cable TV company is the one you've got, because they've had the chance to frustrate you most recently." This is the reality of shopping in an industry controlled by a small number of huge players.
Apr 17, 2015, 1:59 am
#39
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: South Yorkshire, UK
Programs: A3*G, LH FTL, VS Red, Avis Preferred, Hertz President's Circle, (RIP Diamond Club)
Posts: 2,364
well ... what makes it not cost-effective is that what might fix YOUR issue isn't what fixes Customer X's issue, and what fixes Customer X's issue isn't what fixes Customer Y's issue, and ... ad infinitum ad nauseum ...
further, six weeks or months or six years from now, you (and Customer X, and Customer Y) are likely to cite something else as your critical issue that is driving you to find a different airline
further, six weeks or months or six years from now, you (and Customer X, and Customer Y) are likely to cite something else as your critical issue that is driving you to find a different airline
Apr 17, 2015, 2:12 am
#40
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,717
British Airways is often quite good with first-time F visitors. I remember being exceedingly well looked after on my first trip. The trouble with BA as ever is that it's entirety inconsistent - and you never have a second first time (though I seem to remember pretending with a friend on our third trip that it was..).
Apr 17, 2015, 8:01 am
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Bangkok or San Francisco
Programs: United 1k, Marriott Lifetime PE, Former DL Gold, Former SQ Solitaire, HH Gold
Posts: 11,886
I say something similar about cable TV service anytime one of my friends complains how terrible XYZ's service is or how RST are the biggest crooks ever. "The worst cable TV company is the one you've got, because they've had the chance to frustrate you most recently." This is the reality of shopping in an industry controlled by a small number of huge players.
Apr 17, 2015, 10:59 am
#42
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: AA EXP/LTP, BA GGL/CCR/GfL, HH D/LTD, SPG/MR Plat/LTP
Posts: 10,075
Apr 17, 2015, 5:56 pm
#43
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,883
Apr 17, 2015, 6:56 pm
#44
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 3,360
Example: I was Revenue Manager at the "flagship" hotel of a worldwide hotel company. As we were corporate-owned/operated, we were the beta-testing site for the CRM (customer relationship management) software that's now used at hotels in the chain.
I recall one seemingly simple update managed to break the link between the PMS (property management system) and the wake-up call system. That resulted in understandably angry guests who never got wake-up calls. It took days to figure out the problem because the programmers insisted that the CRM update couldn't be the root cause.
My point is that determining that something is "not cost effective" is never easy in a complex system like an airline.
Apr 17, 2015, 11:22 pm
#45
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
best customer is not the individual traveler who has top-tier elite status. A hotel's best customer is the local corporation who requires all visiting employees to stay at that hotel. It all comes down to numbers. At best, a single traveler can only provide 365/366 room nights each year. Of course, that's theoretical since virtually no one lives in a single hotel. A local company can easily provide hundreds to thousands of room nights for a single hotel.
http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/articles...Clock-check-in
According to van Paasschen, just two percent of travelers drive 30 percent of Starwoods profits